The rising demand for computing and multimedia devices has increased demand for interconnecting devices. The interconnection of computing devices to each other, and peripherals to computing devices continues to raise the demand for faster (e.g., higher bandwidth) data communication links. The currently desired bandwidths cannot be delivered reliably by electrical interconnections over the distances required for modern electronic equipment.
Optical channel solutions have the potential to provide longer range and higher speed capabilities. However, optical channel solutions for removable interconnections with modern electronics have practical considerations that are different from previous uses of optical communications solutions. Optical devices that provide the bandwidths desired (currently on the order of 25 Gb/s per channel) are typically of a physical size that introduces challenges for automatic alignment.
Specifically referring to the receiver side, higher speed, small photodetectors are small enough that the active area to focus on requires a level of precision that is difficult to achieve with traditional manufacturing equipment. Thus, theoretical designs may not be amenable to high volume manufacturing (HVM). The designed device characteristics may be unavailable in a device compatible with manufacturability constraints of high volume equipment and processes.
Descriptions of certain details and implementations follow, including a description of the figures, which may depict some or all of the embodiments described below, as well as discussing other potential embodiments or implementations of the inventive concepts presented herein. An overview of embodiments of the invention is provided below, followed by a more detailed description with reference to the drawings.